1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image supply apparatus for supplying image data relating to recording, an image output apparatus which receives supplied image data to output a color image to a recording medium and an image forming system having the foregoing apparatuses. More particularly, the present invention relates to a printing system for printing an image on a recording medium such as a cloth. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an image output apparatus having an image repeating function for repeatedly recording the same image.
2. Description of the Related Art
When an image is outputted, there is sometimes desired to record an objective image on a recording medium in such a manner that another image data item is superposed on the objective image (first image data) which is the subject of the recording operation. In a cloth printing field, for example, in which an image is printed on a cloth, a brand (logotype) of a manufacturer or a designer is printed repeatedly at an end portion of a cloth.
Some conventional image output apparatuses such as printers have an arrangement that image data supplied from an external equipment, such as a host computer, is outputted as it is or temporarily stored in an incorporated buffer memory before the image data is outputted as an image. The image output apparatus having the buffer memory uses the buffer memory in order to establish consistency between the data transmission speed from the host computer and the image output speed of the printer. Furthermore, a printer apparatus, i. e., a page printer such as a laser beam, having an image memory capable of storing developed pixel data for one or more pages has been widely used because print data expressed in a page description language is developed into pixel data (bit map data).
Recently, a special image output is sometimes made to realize a geometrical image by repeatedly outputting a certain basic image. If a wide area image composed of repeated images, such as wall paper or a cloth, is printed by a printer of the aforesaid type, the printer must perform the following process: data about the whole image, in which the geometrical image is formed, is made by the host computer and the data having an excessively large capacity is transmitted from the host computer to the printer. If the printer apparatus has no buffer memory for the received image data, the correspondence between the image data transmission speed from the host computer and the printing speed of the printer apparatus must be held by the following adjustment methods: the calculation of the large quantity of image data is completed faster than the printing speed of the printer apparatus; the calculation is performed in advance; and the printing speed of the printer is conformed to the data transmission speed from the host computer.
An image forming apparatus having an image repeating function with which the same image can be repeatedly printed can be available. The image repeating function provided for the aforesaid apparatus will now be described with reference to FIGS. 55 and 56. Referring to FIG. 55, reference numeral 761 represents an original having an image to be repeatedly recorded. In this example, the image of symbol xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d in an area 711 is repeatedly formed. FIGS. 56A-56C illustrate examples in which the image in the area 711 of the original 761 is repeatedly printed. FIG. 56A illustrates a state where the image of the area 711 shown in FIG. 55 is read and the image is printed on an area 712 of a recording medium 771. After the area 712 has been printed, the printer does not advance the paper, but again reads the area 711 of the original 761 so as to print it on the area 713 of a recording medium 771 as shown in FIG. 56B. After the area 713 has been printed, the printer does not further advance the paper, but reads the area 711 of the original 761 so as to print it onto the area 714 of the recording medium 771 as shown in FIG. 56C. As a result of the aforesaid operation, an image as shown in FIG. 56C is formed by performing the operation of recording the same image three times. By reading the same area plural times and printing onto different positions of a medium, the image repetition function is realized.
When recording is performed while superposing image data, such as logotype, on the original image data, it might be considered that a superposed image data that the image data is previously superposed on the original image data is recorded. However, a predetermined image process, such as a head shading correction, xcex3-correction and UCR conversion process, performed prior to recording the superposed image data will also affect the image data other than the original image data. Therefore, the image data cannot be recorded as desired. If the image data is, for example, character image data there is a fear that it cannot be clearly recorded.
If there is a desire that basic image is repeatedly printed on the recording medium while being formed into various shapes (it is an ordinary case for the cloth printing field), the position at which other image data (logotype mark) is printed is limited by the repeated pattern of the basic image. As a result, the other image such as the logotype mark cannot, sometimes, be printed at the desired position.
If a large quantity of image data is transmitted to a printer from a host computer, it takes a long time to transmit the image data. Therefore, the host computer inevitably takes a long time to complete the process for printing. Another problem takes place in that an excessively long time is required to obtain the final output image. If the large quantity of image data is stored in the buffer memory of the printer, there arises a problem in that the buffer memory must have an excessively large capacity. If the geometrically repeated image data is generated by an external equipment such as the host computer, a long time is required to generate the image data.
In addition, the conventional image repeating function is a function for simply repeating the operation of printing the same image. Therefore, the repeated image pattern cannot be varied.
An object of the present invention is to overcome the aforesaid problems.
Another object of the present invention is to enable desired second image data to be recorded at a desired position on the recording medium on which the first image data which is the subject of recording is recorded.
Another object of the present invention is to enable second image data to be recorded as desired while freed from an influence of the image process to which the first image data is subjected.
Accordingly, the present invention is related to an image supply apparatus for supplying image data to an image output apparatus which records an image on a recording medium, the image supply apparatus comprising: designation means for making a designation about second image data which is different from first image data which is the subject of the recording operation in order to cause the second image to be recorded on a recording medium on which the first image data is recorded.
The designation means may designate at least anyone of the pattern, the size, the recording position and recording color of the second image data. The second image data may be logotype mark.
A control apparatus according to the present invention for an image output apparatus, comprises: first control means provided for an image output apparatus, which records an image on a recording medium, and arranged to cause a recording head of the image output apparatus to record an image in accordance with supply of the first image data supplied from the foregoing image supply apparatus; and second control means which receives the instruction about the second image data and causes the recording head to record the second image data in accordance with the received instruction on a recording medium on which the first image data is recorded.
The first control means has means for subjecting the first image data to an image process prior to transmitting the first image data to the recording head, and the second control means receives the first image data subjected to the image process and supplies the first image data to the recording head while adding the second image data in accordance with the instruction. Furthermore, the second control means has means for making the first image data to be blank in a portion in which the second image data is superposed.
An image output apparatus according to the present invention comprises: the aforesaid control apparatus; and recording head for recording an image on a recording medium.
A plurality of the recording heads may be provided to correspond to recording agents having different colors.
The recording head may be an ink jet printing head which uses ink as the printing agent and which emits ink. Furthermore, the ink jet printing head may have an element which generates heat energy which causes ink to generate film boiling as energy to be utilized to emit ink.
An image forming system according to the present invention comprises: the image supply apparatus; and the image output apparatus.
The system may be a printing system for printing an image on a cloth.
According to the present invention, the image supply apparatus has the means for designating the pattern, size, recording position, the color relating as the second image data such as a logotype mark. On the other hand, the control apparatus of the image output apparatus has a second control means for receiving the designation and controlling the operation of recording the first image data individually from the first control means for controlling the operation of recording the first image data. That is, since the second image data is independently controlled from the first image data, the second image data can be inserted as desired at a desired cycle by an operator regardless of the repetition cycle and the type of the repetition of the first image data. Furthermore, a designated area in which the second image data is inserted, is to be made blank immediately before the first image data is transmitted to the recording head, that is, after a desired image process has been completed. Therefore, the second image data can be printed as desired (for example, clearly) while being freed from influences of the process of various conversions.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an image output method and apparatus capable of efficiently outputting a geometrical repeated image data.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an image output method and apparatus which is capable of outputting image data of a large capacity using a small capacity of memory and with which the amount of image data process to be performed by the external equipment which generates the image data, can be reduced.
In order to achieve the aforesaid objects, an image output apparatus according to the present invention receives image data supplied from an external equipment and outputs the image data, the image output apparatus comprising: storage means for storing the image data supplied from the external equipment; designation means for designating an output format of the image data stored by the storage means; and control means for repeatedly outputting the image data stored by the storage means in accordance with the output format designated by the designating means.
In order to achieve the aforesaid objects, an image output method according to the present invention receives image data supplied from an external equipment and outputs the image data, the image output method comprising the steps of: receiving image data supplied from the external equipment and storing the image data; designating an output format of the stored image data; and repeatedly outputting the stored image data in accordance with the output format.
The image data supplied from the external equipment is stored into the storage means, and the image data stored by the storage means can be repeatedly ouputted in accordance with an output format when the output format of the image data stored by the storage means is designated.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of varying an image by, for example, rotation when the same image is repeatedly recorded in an image repeat method.
In order to achieve the aforesaid object, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention has an image repetition function for repeatedly recording an image that is contained in a designated area, on a predetermined position of a recording medium, the image output apparatus comprising: image storage means for storing image data; address generating means for generating an address for reading designated area of the image data stored by the image storage means, so as to be converted in a manner of rotation or a manner for forming a mirror image; and reading means for reading the image data from the image storage means in accordance with the address generated by the address generating means.
Furthermore, the addresses are so generated that a designated area of the image data stored by the image storage means is read from the image storage means. Furthermore, the addresses for reading the image data in the designated area are subjected to a predetermined process so that the image data in the designated area is converted, for example, rotated or formed into a mirror image.
Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be appear more fully from the following description.